Flat-car.



Patented Dec. 25, 1900." KING.

FLAT CAR.

(Application filed saga. 4, 1900.;

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(No Model.)

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Patented Dec. 25, I900. 6.1. KING.

FLAT CAR.

Application filed Sept. 4, 1900.)

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(No Model.)

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UNITED STATES l ATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE I. KING, or DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR To THE AMERIcAii CAR AND FOUNDRY COMPANY, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

FLAT-CAR.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent N6. 664,646, dated. iacembet 25, 1900.

Application filed September 4, 1900, serial No. 28,903; (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE 1. KING, a citizen of the United States, residing at the city of Detroit, in the State of Michigan, have invented a certain new and useful Improve ment in Flat-Oars, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which- Figure l is a top plan view of one end of my improved flat-car. Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of the car in its entirety. Fig. 3 is an enlarged side elevational view of one end of the car. Fig. 4 is a top plan view'of 7 one end of the car, the flooring being removed to more clearly show the under framing. Fig. 5 is a vertical longitudinal section through one end of the car. Fig. 6 is an enlarged vertical cross-sectional view on line 6 6, Fig. 5; and Fig. 7 is a similar View on line 7 7, Fig. 5.

This invention relates to a new and useful improvement in that type of cars designated as flatcarsthat is, cars wherein the load rests upon the floor and there are practically no side walls for containing the load.

The object of my present invention is to construct a car of the character described for the purpose of carrying tanks, the car shown in the accompanying drawings being designed to have a total length of about sixty-three feet, the distance between the centers ofthe trucks being about fifty feet. A car of this size having a capacity of about sixty thousand to eighty thousand pounds it is desirable that the structure be amply strong to carry the loads intended, as well as being sufficiently light, so that the dead-weight or the weight of the parts entering into the construction of the car will be about one-third the weight of the load designed to be carried by the car.

The invention consists in the arrangement, construction, and combination of the several parts, all as will hereinafter be described, and afterward pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, 1 indicates the center sills, which are preferably in the form of channels with their flanges presented outwardly.

2 indicates the draft-sills, which are secured to the under sides of the center sill-channels at their ends.

3 indicates the side sills, which are prefer ablyin the form of channels with their flanges presented outwardly, and 4- indicates end sills of usual or well-known construction, to which the center and side sills are connected. The end sill shown in the accompanying draw ings is of particular construction for use in in this particular car; but I do not claim the details of the same in this 'applicatiom-and therefore deem it unnecessary to describe said details. I

5 indicates the body-bolsters, whichpreferably consist of top and bottom cover-plates with interposed members in the form of. oppositely-arranged channels,the webs of said channels being. reinforced by plates 6. .1 These body-bolsters carry the usual center and side bearings and extend throughout the width of the car. r

7 indicates stake-pocketswhich may be carried by the side sills for well-understood purposes.

8 indicates transversely disposed floorbeams which are preferably I-shaped in crosssection and are secured to the center and side sills by suitable connection angles, as is well understood. These'floor-beams are so arranged as to divide the framingof the car into a series of panels, there being preferably six of such panels between the body-bolsters of the car, each of said panels being about the same length. These floor-beams, in addition to tying the side and end sills, support intermediate sills 9, preferably made of Wood, the height of said sills extending above the plane of the tops of the side and center sill as shown in Fig. 6.

A nailing-strip 10 is arranged above the side sills, to which and to the wooden sills 9 floor-boards 11 are secured. If desired, a rail 12 may be arranged along each side of the floor.

13 indicates a cover-plate which is riveted to the center sills for tying said center sills together in the middle of the car.

Approximately in the transverse planes of the floor-beams 8, which define the panels of the car, I arrange vertical posts 14, which are jacent panels are arranged diagonals 17, the

ends of the beams 15 having diagonals 18 riveted thereto, said diagonals being riveted to the center and side sills adjacent the points of supportto wit, the body-bolsters. Y

The construction above described is duplicated under the side and center sills, so that the under framing of the car is supported by four trussed structures, which form part of said under framing. The center and side sills form the compression members of the trussed structures, while the vertical posts 14 form the struts and the channels 15 the tension members. The diagonals 16, 17, and 18 are so disposed as to be under tensionunder load, whereby smallcross-sections may be employed. The object in arranging crossed diagonals in the two middle panels is to'avoid buckling of the floor where unequal loads are carried'as, for instance, 'where one end of the car is loaded and the other end empty.

In order to brace the lower portions of the trusses, I provide transverse tie'plates 19, which are riveted to the vertical posts 14:, said tie-plates being reinforced by angles 20,-as shown in Figs. 3, 5, and 6.

21 indicates diagonals arranged upon the channels 15 and riveted to the flanges-thereof, said diagonals, in addition to assisting in tying the beams in place, also'stiffening the trusses when the car is being switched or When rounding curves. I

It will be noted that the cover -.plate 13, which is riveted to the center sills, inaddition to tying said sills together, also forms, in conjunction with said sills, a trough-girder construction which is extremely strong, both transversely and longitudinally, and where the car carries tanks or simiiar freight this center sill takes its part of the load, which bears immediately thereover, without being distressed, the cover-plate being in compression as part of the center-sill beam. As suggested above, this cover-plate also enables the center sills tobetter take care of the bufling stresses. The trough-girderconstruction of the center sill, combined with the=trussed under framing, is new, so'far as I am aware. I

and-substituted for those herein shown and described without in the least departing from the nature and principle of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, What 1 r Iclaim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a car, the combination-with the side and center sills made up of, channels with their flanges presented outwardly, of a coverplate riveted to the top flanges of the center sills, floor-beams secured to the webs of the j side and centersills andnearthe plane of the bottom flanges thereof, vertical :posts'rive'ted to the backs of the channels respectively and r in approximately the transverse planes of' the floor-beams, channels riveted to the lower ends of said posts, said channelsha-vingtheir flanges presented outwardly-and being arranged substantially parallel to the-side :and 1 V center sills, diagonals secured to the center and side sills and to'their respective parallel channels, and transverse tie-bars secured to the vertical posts 'neartheir lowerends;=substantially as described.

In a car, the combination with the center sillsinthe form of channelswi-th their flanges presented outwardly, of channel side sills. having their flanges .presentedoutwardly, a

cover-plate 13 secured to the top flanges-0f the center sills, floor-beams -8 secured to the center and sidesillsneartheir bottom flanges respectively, vertical .posts 14 in 'approxi-r mately the transverse planes of said floorbeams, channels 15 secured tothe lowerends r V V I GEORGE 'I. KING.

Witnesses:

F. R. CORNWALL, CHAS. W. PARKER. 

